Handle mounting liquid dispensing container



y 1968 c. E. MEYERHOEFER 3,

HANDLE MOUNTING LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 30, 1966 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 {I I 6 .1 II II 12 Ii n II 5 ii \,-a ll 13 u INVEWTOR.

Carl E Meyer/Que fer y 6, 1968 c. E. MEYERHOEFER 3,

HANDLE MOUNTING LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 30. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,392,885 HANDLE MOUNTING LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER Carl E. Meyerhoefer, Little Neck, N.Y., assignor to The Regina Corporation, Rahway, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 606,221 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-191) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed is a floor polisher with a liquid container which has a spring loaded valve closing a bottom opening. A valve stem within the container extends from the valve upward and out of the top of the container where it is connected to a lever adjacent to the floor polisher handle. A slidable rod mounted on the handle bears on the lever and with finger pressure upon it will open the valve. Releasing such pressure permits the valve spring to reseat the valve.

This invention relates to an improvement in valve operating means, particularly those employed with floor care machines.

Floor care machines such as floor polishers, waxers and scrubbers and those adapted for rug shampooing are frequently equipped with permanently afiixed or demountable containers in which liquid material may be stored and from which desired quantities may from time to time be intermittently discharged immediately adjacent to the brush or scrubbing elements. To conveniently release the liquid requires a control or valve actuator at or near the end of the handle of the machine where the operator may readily manipulate it.

The object of this invention is to provide a valve for a liquid dispenser that will under spring loading effectively close off the outlet of a liquid container until an operator manually causes it to be held open.

Another object is to furnish with such a valve a remotely located valve control that may be economically produced and easily installed.

Still another object is to enable the location of a substantial length of such valve actuator means within the liquid container.

Other objects will appear from the description which follows.

One form of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a floor care machine mounting a liquid container and embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the valve assembly only, partly in section.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the valve only.

Referring to the drawings in which the same number refers to the same or a similar part a floor polisher and scrubbing machine is shown with the conventional parts being, a handle I, handle grip 2, motor housing 3, rotatable brushes 4, liquid container 5, filler cap 6 covering the container inlet, switch control 7, and electric cord storage holders 8.

The liquid dispensing valve and control system parts which embody this invention are, starting adjacent to handle grip 2, a thumb piece 9 at the upper end of rod 10 slidably mounted on handle 1 and which at its lower end is adopted to bear on lifting lever 11 pivoted on top of container 5. Lifting lever 11 is operably secured to the upper end of valve stem 12 which passes through the length of the interior of container 5 ending in valve 17 at its lower extremity. The outlet part of container 5 terminates in threaded neck 13 to which valve housing 14 is screwed.

Referring to FIGURE 3, there is contained within valve housing 14, valve spring cup 15 which retains valve spring 16 and causes it to bear on the shoulder of valve 17 to urge it downward in valve seat 19. While so seated it closes off outlet tube 20 whose terminal end is disposed so that liquid flowing from it may be conveniently dispensed through a tube (not shown) to the brushes 4. Valve washer 21 serves as a seal between valve housing 14 and outlet tube 20.

Valve 17 is tapered and has a hollow center 18 to permit inward flexing under spring pressure and thus to provide a more positive seating of the valve in its seat.

Operation of the dispensing system is as follows. The operator through switch control 7 causes the brushes to revolve and then by pressing on thumb piece 9, rod 10 depress lever 11 causing valve stem 12 to lift against the pressure of valve spring 16. The unseating of valve 17 permits liquid to flow from container 5 to the brushes and floor surface. Release of finger pressure will restore the valve 17 to its seat, cutting off the flow of liquid.

It is obvious that the form of valve dispensing means illustrated may be applied to other uses and therefore by the specific application herein described it is not intended to limit the scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a floor care machine of the class described a handle,

a container for fluid attached to the handle,

liquid outlet means in the bottom wall of the container comprising an externally threaded fluid dispensing neck,

an internally threaded housing attached thereto and supporting within it a tapered valve seat opening into a fluid outlet tube,

an inverted truncated cone shaped valve of resilient material having a cylindrical recess in its end and a thin edge for its tapered wall, the angle of its side wall from its vertical axis being less than the angle of the wall of the valve seat from such axis,

a spring mounted between the valve and a fixed support urging the valve into the valve seat,

valve actuator means comprising a lever pivoted on top of the container,

a rod slidably mounted on the handle adjacent its upper end, having a thumb piece at its top and with its lower end operably bearing on one arm of the lever, and

a valve stem slidably mounted within the container, its upper end projecting outward therefrom and operably connected to the arm of the lever 0pposite to the arm upon which the rod bears, its lower end terminating in the said valve within the valve housing.

(References on following page) 3 4 4 References Cited .4 3,099,028 7/ 1963. Ardito .l55 0 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,153,251 10/1964 OhlsOn 15-50 FOREIGN PATENTS Miller 15591 Brookins 222 5O9 X 5 96,974 10/1939 Sweden. Lachapelle 221191 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

Cook 222181 KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

